The true, unifying power of entertainment

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – I’ve always heard that immersing yourself in a TV series, movie franchise or new album is an “escape from reality” and I hate how long it took me to realize that that is nonsense.

What’s the first thing you do after binge-watching a great Netflix show?

Maybe you pick up your phone and leave a review, hoping to engage complete strangers in a frantic conversation about the characters, the plot lines, or the crazy ending. Maybe you’ll just browse through other people’s reviews and look for opinions that match your own so you can feel comfortable devoting hours of your life to watching TV.

Or, most likely, you take to social media and tell everyone you know or know that your life changed in 11 hours. Maybe go a little deeper with a few of your close friends. Can you believe what happened in Episode 7?

Whatever your first step, it’s important to you that others share your opinion. Admit it, it is true.

And that is completely normal. We all want to be part of a community, somewhere where we feel like we belong. We want to be involved in something bigger than ourselves. There’s nothing escapist about it.

This zombie-alien-superhero-mutant-werewolf-accountant-cum-assassin TV show might be the furthest thing from reality. But the emotions we feel during and after watching it are as real as it gets.

That’s the only reason entertainment exists: to evoke strong feelings, opinions, and even emotional reactions. There is nothing more real than what we feel.

This whole “escapism” is inherently defeatist. It implies that reality is bad. That there is nothing in this life other than the mundane, boring, monotonous and uninspiring. Or, if you want a better word – my mother always said “monotonous.” What a great word.

Why can’t reality be fun, enthusiastic, exciting and unpredictable? The numbers you enter into your data entry machine are no more real or fake than those of the zombie alien werewolf. In fact, everything is made up. Reality becomes more bearable once we realize this.

I had a friend, Kevin, with whom I shared a deep love of great music. Nothing genre-specific – if it was good, we liked it. We had an unofficial list of “perfect songs” that we never wrote down but somehow always managed to keep track of. We added whenever we felt inspired. I argued that you couldn’t say you liked music if you didn’t like “Amie” by Pure Prairie League, and Kevin loved Journey, Jimmy Buffett and rapper Lloyd Banks.

Kevin died about a year ago – that’s when the reality hits. And it hurt a lot because he was only 34. And it hurt a lot, not because we spent a lot of time together or had a long history together. We didn’t do it. But we had a connection based on music. He would constantly send me songs to listen to and too often I wouldn’t listen to them.

But I did that often, and these songs helped me understand him. That’s actually all any of us wants: to be understood. And for many of us, it’s impossible to understand anything if you don’t know our favorite TV show, movie, or band. A big part of my identity, for better or worse, is tied to my love for the Eagles – the band – and my dedication to seeing them live as often as possible.

Las Vegas. The ball. Next weekend. Eagles concerts #55 and 56. I can’t wait.

So next time you hear that something you love is an “escape from reality,” don’t believe it. What is your reality? If you’ve seen every episode of Stranger Things 17 times, know all the lyrics to Cher’s fourth album, or can name all the Avengers villains off the top of your head, then get excited. And make sure others embrace it too.

Your taste in entertainment is a way to become known, share the good things in life, and adapt. To find your place in the world.

And it’s real. There is no way around it.

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